About scavenging community
It’s a known fact that India is a caste based society. Social status and treatment in the society is determined by a person’s birth in any particular family (caste). However, occupations based on caste have changed in all Savarnas (so called upper castes) over time (for example, a son of Brahmin may not necessarily be occupied as a priest or a teacher). While, among Avarnas (untouchables), caste based occupation is still practiced. Hence, Valmikis in North India, Madigas, Arundhathiyar or Bhangi, Mehtar in South India are the castes/ communities which have to engage in:
With increasing urbanization across the country, scavenging community residing in rural areas is migrating to cities like other communities. Having no other vocational skills and forced by caste based work, they end up doing sweeping and other cleaning related jobs. With urbanization, issues of inadequate infrastructure also lead to open defecation by slum dwellers which sweepers have to clean daily. Thus, the issue of manual scavenging, which was prohibited in 1993, by a central Act – Construction of Dry Latrines and Employment of Manual Scavengers (Prohibition) Act, is still prevalent after 20 years. It is rather aggravating. The formation of rules and setting up of implementation mechanism for new Act passed in 2013 – Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act will take its own time. In India, around 1 million sweepers are engaged in manual scavenging work across the country in rural and urban areas. The practice of manual scavenging is increasing rapidly in urban areas. Only 10% municipal bodies are covered by underground drainage system. In all other municipalities and rural areas, soak pits in households are constructed. There is a large population of sweepers who also work as drainage / sewerage cleaners. It is estimated that every year, around 600 drainage cleaners/workers die while cleaning open or underground drainage/ soak pits. These workers get into sewage without detection of gases inside, oxygen mask, protective clothes or technical support from outside and thus fall prey to death or severe health hazards. The largest chunk of scavenging community works as sweepers in unorganized sector. Assuming that there are 10 lac sweepers employed in municipalities and municipal corporations across India (no specific number can be traced because, since past 15 years, sweepers along with other class 4 government employees are employed on contract basis). Remaining sweepers work in unorganized sector either in contract system or on daily wage basis. This lands them in a condition without any social security, healthcare, assured income and safety from unforeseen situations or local goondas. Situation of women from scavenging community (60% manual scavengers are women, and around 50% sweepers are women) is even worse. They are subjected to sexual harassment on daily basis by contractors or general public, victims of skin, gynecological and respiratory diseases. They are doubly victimized by domestic violence and unequal treatment in community. Other issues like lower rate of education among children, lack of basic amenities in the areas they live, little or no access to government schemes or credit facilities, atrocities & practice of untouchability in day to day life, Methods of manual scavenging
Area of manual scavenging
Private establishments
Different types of workers Involved in manual scavenging practice
|